Both bikes and cars are welcome to participate for $20/rider and $15/passenger. EVERYONE is welcome to attend the HUGE party at Cadillac Ranch for $15/pp whether you ride or not. All net proceeds go to the CCDL Litigation Fund to fight for our 2nd Amendment rights and overturn Connecticut's anti-gun laws.

Sponsors are: National Shooting Sports Foundation, CT Cruise News, Bachand & Bachand Law, Yankee Harley Davidson, Haymond Law, Doc's Motorcycles, Cadillac Ranch and Woodbridge Firearms. For more info: please email:
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. Last year's ride was a HUGE success. Let's make this the biggest poker run in the state!

Join us, August 16th, 2014 at Boothe Memorial Park in Stratford for our annual family picnic. This makes the 6th year for this picnic, and it's always a great time for those that can make it. Bring your children, there is plenty of room to run and play, and this year will have a few more things for the little ones! Print the flyer, share with your friends. If you have any questions about what you can bring, please contact our Events Coordinator, Chris Duffy -
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See you there!

Where: Boothe Memorial Park5774 Main St. PutneyStratford, CT 06614

Note: Please do not park on the grass. If the parking lot is full (it’s a little small), you can park nearby on Putney Chapel Way (see the map below), and walk into the park from there. It’s actually almost as close as the parking lot, and you wont have to walk up and down the hill.

(Click map for larger version)

DIRECTIONSFROM RT. 15N (MERRITT PARKWAY)Take exit 53; at end of ramp take a right; bear right (almost immediately) at nextintersection onto Main St. Putney; follow ¼ mile and Boothe Park will be on yourleft.

FROM RT. 15S (MERRITT PARKWAY)Take exit 53; at end of ramp take a left; bear right at next intersection onto MainSt. Putney; follow ¼ mile and Boothe Park will be on your left.

FROM I-95NTake exit 33 and follow signs to RT 110; stay on RT 110 (East Main St.) one mileto traffic light at intersection of East Main St. and Main St.; take right onto MainSt. (still RT 110); take 3rd left by bearing onto Main St. Putney (pond on left);follow for approx. ½ mile and Boothe Park will be on your right.

The Connecticut Citizens Defense League (CCDL) has secured Ambassador John Bolton as a speaker for a small, private dinner that we are hosting at the Patterson Club in Fairfield on July 20th, 2014. This fundraising dinner is specifically designed to appeal to gun owners that are also business owners, gun manufacturers and other high-profile individuals. The event will be by invitation only and will be closed to the press. 100% of net proceeds go to the CCDL Litigation fund to fight further infringement on our Second Amendment rights.

Tickets are available for a donation of $1000 per person or $9000 for a table to ten for gun clubs and various manufacturers. There will be a cocktail hour in which people can speak with Ambassador Bolton personally and get a photograph. We also plan to have a live auction for a couple of highly collectible firearms from Colt’s Manufacturing Company and Ruger Firearms. Colt’s has generously donated a unique Colt 1911 Marine Pistol from the Colt’s Custom Shop for which they have a 5-year wait list.

Connecticut is on the front lines for gun control. If last year’s laws are allowed to stand, they will be a blueprint for further infringements on our gun rights for ALL states to follow. If you are not interested in attending, I would appreciate it if you could circulate this to some of your friends and associates that might be interested.

Please help support CCDL in fighting for YOUR Second Amendment rights!

A Gun Rights Rally will once again be held on the North Side Capitol Grounds. We will need every person there to make sure that our voices will be heard.

Saturday, April 5, 201412:00pm to 3:00pm

Guest Speaker will be David Codrea.

Critical information regarding firearms Lawful carry at the CapitolWhile the carrying of firearms is permitted on the Capitol grounds, firearms that are now defined as assault weapons under Public Act 13-3 are now prohibited. To avoid confusion and unnecessary hassles, we highly recommend carrying handguns (if you are properly permitted) in lieu of long arms. The Capitol police have been extremely friendly at our past rallies and have never hassled us for any reason. Lets try to keep it that way.

Come celebrate our anniversary at the 5th Annual CCDL dinner, to be held this year at the Aquaturf Club in Plantsville. Relax, enjoy a meal, and share a well deserved night out.

Over the last five years, we have watched our membership grow to 11,000 members, which has been an incredible show.

Price is $55 per person, and you must show your ticket at the door to gain entry. Your ticket will be used for a special door prize, a custom knife handcrafted by the CCDLs own Matt Gioia, with a handmade sheath. Bring some cash for both gun raffles and the bar.

Dinner will be buffet style, salad and cheese tables are on the menu as well. This event is 4-9pm, with dinner to start at 5:30. We will have some speakers, but not TOO many! This is a night to sit back and enjoy a well deserved meal. Aquaturf is located at 556 Mulberry st, Plantsville CT, 06479. Phone number is 860-621-9335.

If you can not attend the meeting, tickets may be ordered online with a $2 surcharge to cover the costs. Tickets will be held at the door under the name used to order them. Click the button to order

Several participants (CCDL, CCS and NSSF) will be coordinating with the NRA to participate and support a Lobby Day scheduled at the Legislative Office building on March 11th starting at 10:00 am till 4:00 pm.

The intent of this Lobby Day is to have our elected officials witness an overwhelming show of unity for the support of 2nd Amendment rights by citizens of Connecticut.

This event is timed to have a large turnout during the most visible day of the week at the Legislative Office Building and will show our legislators that we will not let our rights be stripped away.

The CCDL executive committee met with two NRA State Liaisons this last Monday at our executive meeting to discuss several strategies for countering anti-gun legislation. We are extremely pleased that they have taken the time to coordinate this event, and we are glad that they are on the ground fighting with us in Hartford.

CCDL is encouraging our members to attend this special event, and to seek out your legislators to discuss the issues of gun rights and the importance of protecting them. We are running out of time, so we must let our voices be heard.

We Need a Massive Turnout on This Day

So Please Come Join Us!

Lobby Dayis not a rally like back in January. We will be inside the Legislative Office Building (LOB). This is your chance to meet one on one with your local legislators and tell them you oppose further restrictions on our rights. Even if your legislator is already on our side, come out and support us. There is strength in numbers!

Please, business attire or at least business casual, and leave your signs and camo home. Follow the same Dos and Don’ts you would if you were testifying. Also remember that under CT state law, weapons are not permitted inside the LOB.

Date: Monday, March 11

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Where: 300 Capitol Avenue in Hartford

Parking: Free parking will be available at Cabela’s in Hartford located at 475 East Hartford Boulevard North, East Hartford, CT 06118

Transportation: A complimentary shuttle service will run between Cabela’s and the state Capitol between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Time is running short, and more public statements from elected officials indicate that a small scale public hearing may be scheduled now that the Task force is turning over its recommendations to the leadership in the legislature. The majority of the public will be shut out! There is likely to be a vote on a proposed e-cert package within the next two weeks.

A small scale public hearing would not suffice in our views. We need to keep up the pressure to have FULL public hearings!

Actions Needed Now:1) Contact your own state Reps and Senators and ask them to oppose any proposed legislation that is introduced that has not had a full public hearing.

This is another very important push to make sure that our elected officials understand that we will not sit back and let them pass laws that diminish our rights! We are having an effect and we must sustain our efforts. Call and email today!

We need to demand FULL public hearings on all gun related bills!

Please be polite and courteous when communicating with legislators.

If you wish to contact the whole Gun Violence team at once, copy/paste these email addresses and include your statements To:

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Gun Violence Working Group Conducted Final Hearing

The final hearing was conducted with a clear message from some of the members on the committee that they had expected a full consensus agreement sent to Party leadership on a clear proposal. What ended up happening were two separate lists being drafted from each party from within the group. There are some items of agreement (crossover) between both sides.

CCDL Sponsors Second Amendment Rally at Hartford Capitol on April 28th

Groton, CT – March 16, 2012... The Connecticut Citizens Defense League (CCDL), the state's largest grassroots firearms rights advocacy group, is once again sponsoring a rally in support of the second amendment. This year the popular event will take place on the south side of the majestic Hartford capitol building grounds, beginning at noon on Saturday, April 28th and running through 3:00 p.m. The event features prominent speakers on gun rights, live music, as well as plenty of information on firearms training and licensing here in Connecticut.

"We look forward to the rally being even bigger this year, and continuing the growth we have seen in years past." says CCDL's 2nd Amendment Rally Coordinator Eric Sudarsky. "It is wonderful to see how much awareness of our rights as citizens has grown since the CCDL was founded just a few short years ago, and the support we get from the community at events like this is outstanding. The growth of the second amendment rally mirrors that of the CCDL itself, and it is through community involvement that we have been able to accomplish our goal of seeing no new anti-gun legislation passed since our founding."

The Second Amendment Rally welcomes the public, CCDL members and non-members alike. We have had the good luck of excellent weather in the past, and hope to continue the streak this year. Parking is readily available near the capitol grounds. Please make sure to bring some water for yourself, and as usual be respectful of the capitol grounds and pack out what you pack in. We pride ourselves on an untarnished record of friendly rallies that leave the capitol better than we found it. For more information on the rally or the CCDL, please visit http://www.ccdl.us.

Note: While we have recently verified with the capitol police that firearms are permitted on capitol grounds, it is against the law in the state of Connecticut to possess a gun either in the capitol building itself or on the grounds of adjoining Bushnell park. If you choose to attend the rally armed, make sure to stay on the paved area so you do not risk losing your permit or worse.

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About the Connecticut Citizens Defense LeagueThe Connecticut Citizens Defense League is a non-partisan, grassroots organization devoted to advocating rights affirmed by the Constitutions of the United States of America and the State of Connecticut. We are especially dedicated to protecting the unalienable right of all citizens to keep and bear arms, for the defense of both self and state, through public enlightenment and legislative action.

We welcome anyone who believes that the defense of our constitutional rights is critical to the longevity of our freedom and to the success of this nation, and in particular that the rights to self defense and to keep and bear the arms to actualize that defense, are fundamental and undeniable.

This month was extremely busy for CCDL and its members. Three events kept us all hopping! The final event in our "Month of Fun" was our Fundraiser/Shooting Event this past Saturday, held at Wolcott Landowners Protective Association. We would like to thank all our members that attended and participated in our Pistol and Trap shooting contests.

If you weren't able to attend and would like to view the pics, or if you were there and you want to look for pictures of yourself, click here.

The CCDL 2nd Annual Family Picnic was held on August 14th, 2010 at Boothe Memorial Park in Stratford CT. It was a fantastic day - the weather was perfect, the food was plentiful, and a good time was had by all. Our picnic was open to the public free of charge. It was good to meet so many great people and celebrate our right in Connecticut to Keep And Bear Arms.

I would like to thank all that attended and helped with our CCDL Family Kickoff Picnic on September 5th. A great day was had by everybody. It was a pleasure to meet all of our new members from across the State. Please view our pictures in the gallery.

Although it was a day of fun and celebration, I believe a message was delivered that we, as residents of this State, being the gun rights supporters that we are, must not simply get carry permits, buy a gun, and remain silent about our rights. We are truly involved in an ongoing battle for our freedoms against those that seek to curtail, or very simply eradicate our rights all together.